


Keeping Sammy well fed

by 1stPenname



Series: School Survival Skills [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Childhood Memories, Gen, Weechesters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2014-01-07
Packaged: 2018-01-07 19:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1123704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1stPenname/pseuds/1stPenname
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Dean are left in another no-name town along their journey while John goes off for a case.  Dean is left responsible for Sam's well being.  A character study / closer look at all Dean does to keep a Sam happy and healthy kid. </p><p>Sam is about seven/eight, Dean would be eleven/twelve; Specific ages not specified; Set sometime during the school year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keeping Sammy well fed

        Each small town had its advantages and disadvantages.  This time they were staying in an apartment, which Dean always preferred to a motel.  It meant an actual kitchen and no nosey maids.   It also mean they would stay for at least a month, which could go either way. 

       The apartment complex was a ramshackle place, filled with other poor families so the boys didn’t really stand out.  Dean liked neighborhoods where other children lived; it was easier to blend in.  He especially liked it when the other children weren’t very well off.  Children whose parents drank didn’t ask questions, didn’t like talking about their own families, and didn’t seem to inspire Sam to ask for things Dean couldn’t provide him with.  

       The best part about this town though, was the school.  Dean always preferred towns that kept the whole elementary school in one building.   Soon Dean would be in middle school, but for now, he didn’t have to worry about Sammy being too far away.  He could walk Sam right to his classroom in the morning, and occasionally see him in the halls.  Dean would head straight for Sam’s classroom at the end of the day, and they walked home together.

       It would almost be a perfect situation, if it weren’t for the fact that they were smack dab in the middle of the suburbs.  The closest grocery store was a few miles away and the apartment complex wasn’t exactly on a bus line.  Dean wasn’t even sure if there was public transportation in this town.   John had left the boys with a considerable amount of food and plenty of emergency money.   Dean knew he would just have to figure it out.  He always did. 

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       Dean tried his best to socialize with the other kids in the apartments.  He knew Sam was happier when they didn’t stay cooped up in their own room all the time.  One day after school, a few of the older boys said they were going on a candy run.  Dean jumped at the opportunity to scout out the area and was blatantly amazed that there were any shops within walking distance.

       “Come on Sammy, we’re going to the store.”

       “Hey!”  One of the other boys gently nudges Dean,  “You can come, but no babies allowed.” 

       It takes all Dean’s effort not to deck him.  Dean looks down at Sam, who is coloring with two girls his age.  The girls have hundreds of coloring books between them, and Sam seemed to enjoy their company.

       “You okay here Sammy?” Sam looks up, “I’ll be right back.  Just stay here with Meghan and Heather all right? “

       “Sure Dean.”  Sam smiles, part worried about Dean leaving, part embarrassed that Dean’s acting like their mother in front of all the other kids.

       Dean takes one last look at the younger kids, as the older boys start to leave and urge Dean to follow.  Dean briefly considers asking the girls if one of their parents are home, but he knows that it is at 3:30 on a weekday.   Any adults home in this complex right now are probably drunk, sleeping, or getting ready to work a late second shift.   If the girls’ parents are working there is a teenager who is technically supposed to be looking out for the younger kids.  A babysitter paid by Meghan’s and Heather’s mothers and who does little more than tend to emergencies. 

       “I’ll be back soon.” Dean repeats, trying to sound reassuring and he runs off with the others. 

       It takes the boys about a half and hour to walk to the gas station.   After twenty minutes on the road, the boys cut through a gravel pit, a seemingly empty field, and lastly a cemetery.   When they first arrived to the cemetery, the boys start to snicker and say that if Dean’s scared they can go around the cemetery.  Dean laughs.  He wants to tell them that he can’t count how many nights he has slept in the car, parked in a cemetery so that his dad could do a quick salt and burn.  He wants to tell them that a cemetery in the daylight is the least of their worries.  He also wants these kids to think he is cool, not crazy, so Dean doesn’t mention any of it.  

       On the way back Matt, one of the nicer boys, gave Dean a quick geography lesson.  He explained that they either could walk on the main road and risk getting hit by a semi going 60 mph, or follow the street they had started on for almost an hour.  Dean probed him for more information about the area, and became more aware of how isolated they really were.  Given a car, their location was ten or twenty minutes from anything you could ever need, but without transportation they were practically in the middle of nowhere.   He was grateful for the fact they took a short cut though, he might have to bring Sam on a grocery run, and didn’t like the thought of him walking on the main road without a sidewalk. 

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       For the first week, Dean tried to remember to make peanut butter sandwiches every night for their lunches the next day.   He also started collecting various snacks and treats from kids who didn’t like what their mothers packed for them.  He soon figured out that this was one of the schools that made kids take milk and a fruit or vegetable with their lunch, even if they just wanted to eat the pizza or whatever the main dish was.   He was able to inconspicuously supplement their lunches so they had more than just a sandwich.  

       Sick of peanut butter lunches, Dean started buying school lunches the following week.  On his second day in the lunch line, one of the kids in front of him forgot her lunch money.  Dean watched as the lunch lady took the girls’ name and let her leave without paying for her lunch.   The next day, Dean “forgot” his money to see if it would work for him.  The lunch lady kindly explained that he could she would just charge his account and the school would send a bill home at the end of the month. By the end of the week the lunch lady was a little less kind about Dean’s forgetfulness, but she still let him take his lunch on credit. 

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       Dean swung by the first grade wing on his way out of the school.  He opened up his backpack for Sam to shove all of his papers and books inside.  They used to have two backpacks, but the other one was probably the original from when Dean started Kindergarten, and the zipper just gave out this month.   For now this would work, but it was just another thing on the long list of things Dean would have to ask for before they arrived in the next town.

       Dean zipped up the bag and swung it over his shoulder as Sam donned his coat.  He took Sam by the hand and led him out a side door, towards the playground.  The fastest way back to their apartment was to walk past the playground, through a sports field, and cut through some neighboring yards.  As soon as they were outside, Sam broke away and made straight for the climber.   Dean sat down on a swing, and watched as Sam just played. 

       After a little while, Sam joined Dean on the swings.  Dean pulled out some carrot sticks from his bag.  Someone’s mother had carefully cut them, and that someone had just wanted to throw them away.  Dean liked to think he wouldn’t be so ungrateful if his mom was still around to cut him vegetables and pack his lunch. 

       “After school snack?” Dean offered.

       Sam accepted them gratefully and sat thoughtfully.  Dean knew that Sam would love to have what the other kids had.   A few towns back they were the “poor kids” at school, and Dean could distinctly remember Sam coming home and demanding an ‘after school snack’.  The kids in Sam’s class all had stay at home moms, and they told Sam the wonders of cut vegetables and homemade cookies waiting for them after school.

        “Dean, where did these carrots come from?”

       “What does it matter?”

       “Did you steal these?”

       “Nah man.  This kid was going to throw them away.  He gave them to me.”

       “Are we going to run out of food?”

       “What?”  Dean was astonished.  He thought Sam didn’t pay any attention to their grocery situation. “Why would you ask that?”

       “You forgot to give me lunch money today.”

       Dean felt bad about that.  He wasn’t sure if they would keep giving them free lunches if the school knew they weren’t going to pay.  He figured it would be easier if Sam genuinely thought it was a mistake, rather than having Sam ask for a free lunch.

       “One of the kids in my class called me a baby.” Sam continued, “I couldn’t help it.  I got all the way through the lunch line and then I realized I didn’t have any money.  I didn’t mean to cry, I just couldn’t help it.”

       “Don’t you worry Sammy.  I wont forget again.” Dean promised.  It wasn’t worth the free lunch to have Sam upset over it.  “You still got the pizza, like you wanted?”

       “Yeah.”  Sam said tentatively, “It tasted funny though.  Can you just make me a peanut butter sandwich tomorrow?”

       “Yeah Sammy.  You can have anything you want for lunch.” Dean jumped off the swing and picked up the backpack, “Come on, you can even help me with dinner when we get home.”

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       Dean didn’t know that the second to last Friday of every month was the designated day for the teachers to celebrate all staff birthdays for that month.  He didn’t know that each grade level rotated to bring in treats for the day.  Dean did however notice that the teachers seemed to make extra trips to the staff room today.  He also excused himself to the bathroom in the middle of class to sneak in, help himself to a donut, and take inventory of the goods.

       At the end of the day, Dean walked down to get Sam from his room, walked to the end of the hall, and then told Sam to go ahead out to the playground.   Dean gave Sam some lame excuse about forgetting a book and said he’d be right back.  Sam looked at Dean skeptically, but with the prospect of extra playtime he ran out without argument.  

       Dean walked carefully to the teachers’ lounge.  He was grateful for the fact it was Friday.  The halls were quiet and empty.  The light was off in the teachers’ lounge.   Dean ducked in quickly and flicked on the lights.  He scanned the table for the remaining goods.   Then he peaked in the refrigerator.  There were a few Tupperware containers and labeled foodstuffs.   There was also a half - full bottle of fruit punch labeled “help yourself”.  Dean grabbed the juice, and left the rest.  He tucked it in his bag and peaked out the door window, making sure he was still unnoticed.  Most of the goodies left on the table would be too difficult to nab.    Half a pan of brownies, some fruit salad in a large glass bowl, and some cookies on a flimsy paper plate wouldn’t be good to take.  There were, however, a few bagels left in a bag, some bananas, and a few pastries in one of those bakery boxes.  He tucked those items into his backpack, and looked at the table again.  Opening up two napkins, he placed a brownie and two cookies on each and then folded them up to tuck one in each pocket.  Finally, he took the rest of the napkins and zipped up his bag.

       As Dean left the school, he was again grateful for the lack of people roaming around on a Friday afternoon.  He quickly found Sam on the slide, and told him they had to go.  When they were halfway across the field, Dean pulled out the napkins of baked goods. 

       “One of the teachers gave these to me,” Dean lied as he handed one to Sam.

       Dean hoped their father would be back next week.  He didn’t know for sure when John would turn up though.  He didn’t know how they would pay rent if they were left alone for longer than this one month.  Dean didn’t know how long the food they had would last, or how long the money would last. 

       All Dean knew was that Sammy deserved a normal childhood, and it was his job to provide that.   Sam deserved trips to the playground, and friends who shared their coloring books.  Sam deserved after school snacks and fresh baked cookies.  Sam deserved a good lunch, whether it be school bought or packed from home.  Most of all, Sam deserved to be a normal kid who didn’t worry about adult responsibilities.   And Dean was willing to sacrifice his own childhood to provide that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Comments and Kudos appreciated. 
> 
> :)


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